When Candace Met Candy
by angeldemonpinkpup
Summary: Request, Pre-Movie: A new game is plugged into the arcade. When one of the programs becomes a nuisance, it's up to the Surge Protector to stop her...but what does this have to do with King Candy? King CandyxOC Currently no other pairings...yet *sinister chuckle*
1. Escape!

Game Central Station- 10A.M.:

The Surge Protector skipped about happily across the deserted station. Quarter Alert had just sounded and all of the programs who still belonged to consuls had long gone. He had just discovered that a new plug had been added. A new game was going to be installed. The installation process normally took four hours, but Mr. Litwak liked to give the games an extra twenty, just in case.

Surge rounded the corner of Super Mario and stood in the mouth of the new plug. He took a deep breath, relishing the scent of new electrical currents and metal. The murmuring whir of the installation process lazily echoed off the cavernous walls. Surge smiled. With no programs around to spot him, he could occupy himself with his favorite pastime.

Surge placed a small carrying bag beside him on the floor. He rummaged around and pulled out a few cans of spray paint. He beamed in anticipation and set to work.

A shadowed figure watched as Surge began to deface the latest Plug Wall. The figure stared past him, toward the station. In a flash, it raced off.

Surge jumped as the alarm blared behind him. "What the-?" He saw the very edge of a shadow jump through the portal to the station. He stumbled up and ran after the shadowed figure, his spray paints forgotten.

"Hey, come back here!" He yelled. Surge skidded to a halt in the station. He looked back and forth but only spotted the normal programs. Pong played itself at the far end of the station. Q-Bert sat disgruntled in front of the Pac-Man plug along with some various homeless programs. _Where did that thing go?_

Surge shook his head and decided he must've been hearing things, when he noticed her. A new program stood near the information wall and stared out at the station around her. Surge got a good look at her and realized she must've come from the new game.

At seven feet tall, she wasn't the tallest program but she wasn't the shortest either. She had dark brown hair in the shape of a pixie cut and tan skin. She wore brown leather combat boots, lime green jeans and a grey tee with long black sleeves. She appeared humanoid but one feature stood out, her wings. The right wing was covered in light cream and white feathers. Her left wing was leathery and deep red in color.

She didn't seem to be a main character. Surge suspected she was in an RPG that required a player to choose different options. The option they chose would likely change the storyline. Most likely, she was a character that acted as a guide. She probably switched up stories to confuse players and make her a hard program to trust. She could be helpful or hurtful. It really depended on her mood.

Surge shrugged. Whoever she was she didn't have authority to be there. He strode confidently toward the new program and cleared his throat. The new program turned slowly to stare at him through narrowed eyes. Surge gulped, somehow this program managed to scare him without even saying anything. He shook himself, "excuse me miss but I am the Surge Protector."

"So?"

"Well you just triggered the random alert and I need to ask you a few questions."

The new program's eyes narrowed further then she smiled, "Ok, so ask."

"Ok. What's your name?"

"They call me Candace."

"Great. What game are you- Where are you going?!"

"You're boring so I'm leaving pipsqueak."

Surge puffed up his chest, "I don't think so! You have no authority here!"

Candace's eyes flashed dangerously, "What are you gonna do about it?"

"Well first, I'm gonna bring you in—"

"Not if you can't catch me!" The cheeky program dashed away.

"Wha-HALT!" Surge called angrily as he chased after her.

"Ooh, I'm sooo scared!" Candace called over her shoulder and laughed.

The two raced around Game Central's perimeters. Candace led Surge toward Pong and jumped in time to miss the ball. Surge yelped as the little white ball slammed into his side. He landed on the ground, doubled over in pain.

Candace continued on as if nothing happened. She scanned the many titles and spotted one that intrigued her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Surge up and running. He was still slightly out of breath and was slowing down rapidly. Candace laughed and headed straight toward her destination.

"Oh, no you don't!" Surge yelled. He made one last ditch dash and managed to zip past her. He reappeared in front of the new program. Candace just smirked and dashed past him and raced into the game beside him. Surge howled in frustration. 'She tricked me!' Curiosity grabbed him. He walked over to the game's plug and read the sign. _Sugar Rush?! What terrors could a program like that cause there?_ He groaned as he realized he would have to go in and find the renegade program.


	2. Candace

Sugar Rush, 11AM:  
Candace strolled about in a strange world of bright colors. The sound of racecars overlay the sound of a catchy tune softly playing in the background. Candy-cane trees towered above her as far as the eye could see. Candace smiled and snapped off a branch as she passed by. She stuck the candy-cane in her mouth and made her way deeper into the candy-coated forest.

Candace turned her head at the sound of voices to her left. _Interesting, I thought all of the programs were involved in the race._ Curiosity got the better of her and she headed toward the voices. Soon she came across a meadow surrounded by trees. She ducked behind a few trees to get a good look.

Two programs stood on either side of a sparkling white racecar. One had raven-hair tied back by red licorice and lined with candy. Her outfit consisted of a green hoodie and two upside-down recess cups as a skirt. The other was a small bald man with two wisps of silvery hair on either side of his face. His eyes were dark with a slight pink highlight. A small golden crown adorned his head and he wore a dark purple coat with a wimple and lace cuffs. He also had a red candy-wrapper bow tie with a golden vest and tights. His outfit ended with some ridiculous little shoes with bells on them. Candace smirked. The little king looked ridiculous and intriguing at the same time. The two programs seemed to be arguing about something.

"Look, I'm sorry Vanellope but like I said, you can't race." The king stated softly.

"B-but I'm a racer, I can feel it in my code!" The smaller one retorted.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again, glitches can't race!"

_This just gets more and more interesting. _Candace thought, _I've never met a glitch before!_

The king reached out a hand and placed it gently on the smaller program's shoulder, "I truly am sorry Vanellope. You can still watch the races as a citizen, but I'm afraid you can never race."

"NO! I don't believe it! I'll get my own racecar, you'll see!" The smaller one yelled. She pulled away from the small king's grasp and ran off.

"Vanellope, wait!" The king called. As soon as the raven-haired program was out of ear-shot, the king muttered under his breath. "Little brat!"

Candace was startled. She was under the assumption that as a racing game, Sugar Rush had no "heroes" or "villains." The only reason she was there was so that she could get away from the stereotyping idiots in her game. _Especially Cal!_

**Flashback, two hours ago:**  
**Candace stood around in the dead space that would soon become the game's world. Bits and pieces of dark green moss-covered trees started to sprout and grow nearby. Dark green grass also grew at a fast rate and some brown and grey boulders started to form. The green matched her jeans closely and her boots blended perfectly with the brown earth under her feet. Candace glanced up at the black sky. Bright green lines intersected above her head but she knew stars would eventually start to form and black would become indigo. **

**She stalked away from the other programs and felt the bark along one of the brown and grey trees. She liked the fact that as a guide character, she could stalk the forest unnoticed by the player until she showed herself. She could lean against a tree, waiting for the perfect moment. She would approach the player and give them advice. Whether they completed the game as a hero was kind of up to her. 'I'm the one who's in control here.' She thought happily breathing in the calm forest air. **

**Candace was so enraptured in her own happy thoughts that she hadn't noticed another program had joined her. "Thinking about all the ways you're going to ruin our game?" the deep voice broke Candace out of her reverie. They hadn't been plugged in more than an hour or so and she already knew she loathed the person behind that voice. **

**She turned to face the program beside her. At nine feet, Cal Storm stood over two feet taller than the others. He had a hard steely expression in his dark eyes. His muscles bulged underneath his grey-blue tank top covered by a green camouflage hooded jacket. His dark grey jeans and black combat boots made up the rest of his outfit. He was classified as a good guy but he didn't care much for Candace at all. **

**"What do you want Cal? We haven't even been plugged in one day and you already hate me?" Candace asked innocently. **

**Cal snarled, "You're nothing but trouble!" **

**Murmurs of agreement sounded from the programs still standing in the middle of Dead space. Candace looked around in surprise. "But I help you guys!" **

**"Sometimes. Sometimes you're a real pain! I'm sure our game would go much smoother without you always tripping Zero up." Cal indicated Zero, the game's hero, standing off to the side. Zero hung his head and gave Candace an apologetic grin. He liked Candace but he wasn't about to disagree with Cal. **

**"The players love me!" Candace replied. **

**"Yeah," Cal scoffed, "until you screw them over!" **

**"Oh come on guys! You know I can't help what I am, besides you guys like me right?" **

**Candace watched in shock as one by one the heroes hung their heads. She turned to the villains, but they avoided her gaze as well. **

**"See Candace?" Cal smirked, "You're not wanted here!" **

**Candace felt a sharp pain in her chest. She took one last look around, but without any support whatsoever, she turned and ran away. **

**_No one likes me. I'm not a hero and I'm not a villain! I'm a freak!_**** Candace thought as she roughly pushed through the forest, searching for the plug. Branches slapped her face and body. Her heart raced and her lungs gasped for air as she ran farther than the new program had run before. ****_If they don't want me, fine! I hope I never see them again, especially that stupid Cal!_**

Sugar Rush, Candy-Cane forest:

Candace snapped out of her memory. Her heart went out to the poor glitch who was not allowed to race. _Maybe I'll help her out._ She stepped out from behind the Candy-cane trees and stalked slowly toward the bald program in front of her.

"Hello there!" Candace called out.

The other program jumped, "Oh! I didn't even notice-who are you?"

"In my game, they call me 'Candace.'"

"King Candy" the smaller program replied.

"That was quite a fight. Your little girlfriend seemed pretty upset with you!"

"M-my girlfriend?! Vanellope! Gross, ew-yuck!"

Candace laughed, "I'm kidding of course! What was that about?"

"It's none of your business!"

Candace grabbed the smaller program and hoisted him above the ground. "I don't think you're in a position to say that to me."

"Put me down! I command you. I am the King around here!"

"Oh, you're no king." Candace stated matter-of-factly.

"W-what?"

"Well, you're not the rightful king around here. I mean if you were, you wouldn't be so cruel to one of your subjects. This place is way too sweet for that!"

"B-but, you-I how did-?"

"I just know these things. It's in my programming. I get to know programs back-stories and such and exploit them for my own amusement. I must commend you though. I've never seen a program take over another game! How'd you do it?"

"I'm not telling you!" King Candy retorted angrily.

"Whatever. What do you say, we hang out sometime Candy?"

"Wha-?"

"Yeah! Let's hang, you seem pretty cool…and kinda cute too!" Candace winked.

King Candy looked flustered and before he could say more, the strange program disappeared.

Candace watched on in amusement as King Candy took a moment to compose himself. He walked away and she laughed. _I could get used to this place! I'm never going back! _


	3. Zero

Dead Space, noon:

Zero looked around hesitantly. It had been a few hours since Candace had disappeared and she hadn't returned. Zero glanced up at the stars sparkled down on him from an indigo-purple sky. He smiled fondly. The stars sparked a feeling of bliss somewhere in his memory bank.

**Zero's memory, The Dark Forest, ten years ago:**

**Zero ran and ran until his knees buckled under him and he collapsed. He pulled himself into a sit on the side of a tree and softly sobbed. He had run from his small village where his mother's funeral had taken place. **

**His father had stubbornly told him not to cry and he didn't. His face was stoic throughout the entire ceremony. He had not said a peep nor did he let tears fall. When the older people came up to him with their condolences, he had simply nodded. **

**After the ceremony was over he couldn't hold it in anymore. It was all too sad but he knew his father wouldn't approve. He cast a glance at the stern man to see he wasn't paying attention and ran. He ran to the forest. A place his father and several others had warned him about but he liked it anyway. He liked to believe the trees talked to him and cared for him. **

**So here he was, half an hour later when a small voice called to him.**

**"Why are you crying?"**

**Zero looked up in surprise. He wondered who could possibly care about a silly little boy out here. Before him stood a girl about his age wearing a brown tunic over grey-green pants. Her deep magenta eyes sparkled and she cocked her head in interest, a wide grin plastered on her small face. Her brown hair spiked out in every direction. Zero had never seen this girl before. ****_Is she lost? _****He wondered. The girl paced closer. **

**"You didn't answer my question." She said impatiently. **

**"O-oh, uhm… well…" Zero looked down in embarrassment. Someone had caught him crying, something a man should never do. **

**The girl noticed his discomfort and sat beside him. She wrapped a skinny arm around him and pulled him close. "It's ok, you don't have to tell me. Just let it all out." She patted his side and smiled down at him. **

**Never before had anyone let Zero cry on their shoulder. He sat there for hours until the tears ran dry and the girl let him. **

**Night had fallen by the time Zero was done. He looked about, suddenly nervous about being alone in the forbidden woods at night. He turned to the girl. She was staring straight up and smiling. Zero glanced up and saw something amazing. Between the canopies of leaves were thousands of tiny glowing diamonds. They shone down on the two children and Zero felt calmer than he had since his mother's death. **

**"You know what they say about stars, right?" **

**Zero shook his head, too enamored to look away from the sky. **

**"They say stars are our lost loved ones looking over us…I don't know if I believe it, but sometimes it helps to think it's true."**

**Zero simply nodded. He wasn't sure how she knew he needed to hear that, but he didn't care. **

**The girl stood up suddenly and held out her tiny hand. "Well come on, kid." She said with a smile, "time to get you home." **

**Zero nodded and let the girl help him up. Then he followed her through the woods. It had amazed him the way this girl seemed to know every detail of that forest even at night. In the village, children were told to stay away from the forest. There were monsters that lived in the woods. They appeared to be human, but weren't. Some had extra limbs but most had animal-like qualities. Zero had been told they were nothing but trouble and yet this girl didn't seem afraid at all. She sped through the forest like a bird through air. **

**Soon, the two kids found themselves near the gate that led to Zero's village. Zero beamed and raced away, only to notice that the girl hadn't followed him. He turned around and found her standing by the edge of the trees.**

**"Aren't you coming?" He asked, eager to show his new friend to his father. **

**The girl shook her head, "I can't." She seemed sad.**

**"Why not?"**

**The girl looked away, "they wouldn't like me." **

**"Huh?" Zero was confused. He was sure this girl, though he had never seen her before, had to live in the village. **

**The girl smiled sadly, "I have to go. It was nice meeting you...?"**

**"Zero! M-my name's Zero." He held out his hand, slightly embarrassed that he hadn't thought to introduce himself sooner.**

**The girl smiled and grabbed his hand. "My name's Candace." **

**The two shook hands and then Candace pushed Zero toward the gate. **

**"Zero!" One of the guards called, "We've been worried sick! Were you in the woods?! You know how dangerous it is in there!"**

**"B-but…that girl..?" **

**Being young, Zero couldn't fight the two men and he soon found himself being escorted home. He took one last glance over his shoulder. A shadowed figure with magenta eyes stared at him. He stared back and noticed with shock that as she pulled her tunic down, two wings were revealed. ****_She has wings! She must be one of the monsters Dad told me about! But…she didn't seem like a monster at all! _**

****** Zero contemplated what he had learned and quickly decided that maybe his father was wrong. ****_Maybe, just maybe everyone else is wrong about crying...and monsters in the woods. _**

**That day, Candace had taught Zero what it was to cry and to appreciate the stars. **

End of flashback:

Zero frowned. _If it weren't for Candace, I wouldn't have even joined the resistance! I owe her so much and I didn't even stand up for her! I have to find her and bring her back. But how..? _

Zero looked about him. Somehow he doubted any of the villains would help him. He knew if he went by himself, Candace wouldn't believe she was really wanted back. _If I want her to come back, I'm gonna have to convince her that everyone wants her back and that means convincing…oh no! _


	4. Cal Storm

Dead Space, 12:31PM

Zero searched about hesitantly. He knew who he'd have to find but he didn't want to. Luckily, Zero knew just where to find his quarry.

Eagle's Peak stood high above the forest. The view from the top overlooked all of Dead Space and just so happened to be a certain Rebel Leader's favorite place to think.

Cal Storm stood brooding over the cliff's edge with a stern look on his face. His muscles bulged and gleamed in the moonlight. The silver gleam cast a sinister glow over his tense features. Zero gulped and hesitated once more. Then he remembered the tears he had seen streaming down Candace's face and his silent vow to get her back. _Be brave Zero! If you could take on a horde of bloodthirsty ogres, you can deal with Cal's bad attitude for Candace's sake! _

Gathering his courage, Zero made his way to Cal's hunched form. Before he could figure out what to say he heard the other program grunt. "Nothing you say will make me want to bring Candace back. She is a nuisance and our lives will be better without her."

Zero sighed. "Are you sure?"

Cal turned toward the small hero with a deadly serious gaze. "I'm positive."

Zero snarled angrily. "Oh come on! There isn't one thing Candace as done for you that you can't think of? Not one thing that makes you think she deserves to be here?!"

Cal blinked. He was surprised to hear the anger and desperation in the hero's voice. _Has she done anything for me? _His gaze shifted from Zero to the landscape slowly forming before him. A way in the distance, Cal could make out the valley that housed the burnt remnants of his village. The memories of that place and its inhabitants had long since been buried by trauma and the adrenaline rush of war. Now however, staring out over the fields and the mention of Candace somehow brought those memories surging forward.

**Cal's Memories, Tinder Village, eleven years ago:**

**It was just another summer day for Cal and the other village children. Cal raced around chasing a little white ball. He ran up to it and searched for a familiar face. Once he found it, he kicked the ball with all his might. His older brother, Knox, grinned and managed to spin-kick the ball into the crudely-made goal. **

**Cal and Knox whooped with their team while the other kids groaned. There was no stopping the Storm brothers. **

**Suddenly the cheering was interrupted by the clatter of horse shoes. A large, muscular man strode into the village on an equally large black horse. The man stopped nearby and rang the town bell as he cried out in an ancient tongue. Knox froze at once, his terrified eyes shifted from the man to Cal and back. Cal seemed confused. He was too young to understand what the bell meant.**

**Knox grabbed Cal's arm and pulled him away. Cal struggled but he noticed the other older kids were dragging his peers away as well. **

**"Where are we going?" He asked as terror seeped in. **

**Knox turned and Cal noticed his brother's usual smile replaced with a frown. "Home" he stated simply.**

**Cal soon saw his mother. Her long black hair flying as she waved her arms frantically at her two sons. Though she spoke calmly, her green eyes betrayed her fear. "Come on, get inside." She said softly. **

**Before the boys could reach her, a screech filled the air. Cal turned back to see official-looking soldiers riding palomino horses riding into the village. They waved long blue and red banners and carried several weapons. The soldiers started to throw strange devices into the air. Once the devices hit the ground, multi-colored sparks erupted from them and the sparks set fire to the ground. The soldiers made their way closer to the boys. Some carried scepters and started chopping heads. Cal watched as his best friend was beheaded in front of him.**

**Then, in horror, he and Knox noticed their mother race forward. She raised her arms and screamed bloody murder. She turned and spat, "get out of here, now!" before she raced off, distracting the soldiers. **

**Cal tried to run after her but Knox pulled him violently forward. "Let's go!" he hissed. Cal felt numb as his brother led him through the fray. Soon the two came upon an endless forest. Knox spun Cal around so that they faced each other. "Listen Cal. There's a war coming. Those men back there were soldiers sent from the Capital to kill any rebels. I believe it's impossible to stop them…once the fire dies down, I plan on joining them."**

**Cal's jaw dropped. ****_You can't! They just burned down our village, killed my best friend and possibly our mom! How could you? _****But Cal never said a word. Instead, he raced into the woods. Disbelief crashed over him in waves. He simply could not believe his brother; his hero would join the people who killed their mother. **

**Farther and farther he ran. Finally he came upon a lake. The crystal clear surface shimmered with the rays of the golden sun. A light mist rolled through the trees and cast a soft, soothing glow over the land. **

**Cal sat at the water's edge. His eyes brimmed with tears as he stared mindlessly at his reflection. **

**Hours went by before Cal was taken out of his trance by a soft voice. The voice was singing a sad, slow melody. Somehow, despite the sorrow behind it, Cal found himself calmed by the song. In fact, he wanted to find out exactly where it was coming from. He listened and after a moment, he found himself once again delving deeper into the trees. **

**Just beyond the lake, lay a dense Pine forest. Cal followed the singing to the forest's edge. There, he stumbled upon a field of clovers. In the middle of the field lay a fallen log. Sitting cross-legged upon the fallen log was a young girl, not much younger than himself. She was the source of the sorrowful melody. Though Cal could not understand the foreign words, he was mesmerized. **

**The girl had his back to him but he could see her brown tunic with clover-green pants and short brown hair. **

**Cal snuck behind her as quietly as he could and settled down on the clovers. The girl continued to sing softly. After a while, Cal could hear the sobs in her voice waver as she sang. He did not wish the girl to be sad. He got up and gently tapped the young girl's shoulder. **

**The girl yelped and turned to face him. She got into a fighting stance and gave him the best glare she could muster. "Who are you and what do you want, Mister?" **

**Cal held up his arms. "I'm sorry! I he-heard your singing and I wanted to see where it was coming from-I'm Cal and I…I heard you crying…I didn't want you to cry…you…you have a pretty v-voice." He stuttered in embarrassment. **

**The girl looked stunned for a moment then looked away shyly. "You…think I have a pretty voice?" She turned to look at him. Hope and disbelief shining in her pretty magenta eyes. **

**Cal blushed slightly, "well uhm, yeah." **

**The two children looked away and silence filled the air between them. Finally the young girl's curiosity got the better of her. "Where'd you come from?" **

**"Tinder Village, I lived there with my mom and brother until…" Cal stared at the ground, determined to not let this girl see his tears. **

**The girl grasped his hand suddenly. "It's ok to cry, the same thing happened to my village." **

**Cal looked up in surprise, "how did you know?" **

**"I heard the alarm, the same one went off in my village before they came." **

**Cal stared at the girl a moment longer before the tears started to flow. The girl wrapped her arms around Cal and she pulled him in for a long hug. When Cal had cried himself dry, the girl grabbed his shoulders. "You know, I heard of this rebel camp not to far from here. Maybe we can go together? I don't know about you, but I'd like to kick some Capital butt! I'm Candace, by the way." **

**Cal smiled. "I'm Cal and you know what Candace? I'd like to kick some Capital butt myself!" ****_Maybe if I'm a rebel, I can show Knox he's on the wrong side! _**

**Candace and Cal linked arms and the two youngsters made the long trek to the rebel camp. **

End of flashback:

Cal's eyes widened in surprise. _How could I forget that? After all this time…and I yelled at her, humiliated her, for what? She was there for me when my brother turned his back on me. She brought me to the rebels. _Cal punched a tree in frustration, causing Zero to jump back and yelp.

"How could I do that to her?" Cal scolded himself.

Zero shrugged. "How could I not stand up for her?"

Cal faced the main hero with a look of determination in his eyes. "We must get her back!"

"But how?" Zero queried. "We don't even know where she went."

"I know where she went," said a strange voice behind the two men. Cal and Zero spun around to find a strange looking blue-white man staring at them with a clipboard and pen in hand.


End file.
